Album Review: Continents - Idle Hands

UK band Continents are newcomers to the post-hardcore/metal scene and have been lauded as “the next ADTR” by their own record company. Well, let's dispel with that myth immediately, if we can. Continents' brand of hardcore would actually fall more comfortably alongside bands like Architects and Parkway Drive; the Welsh five-piece have the rifforama that both groups possess, however, Continents' melodic sections are slightly more scarce as they focus on guitar amps with the mid-EQ on their amps cranked.

Opening 'warm up' track 224 sets a vicious pace for the entire album early on, and does not falter for the whole record. The title track would easily sum up the band's overall sound; a strong selection of riffs, tempo changes and ferocious vocals. The lads seamlessly run tracks into each other, which isn't a particularly hard thing to do here as riffs are constantly on rotation, with the tempo of each track at times changing at numerous intervals. Pegasus, Pegasus sees one of the album's only melodic lines; yep, you picked it, it's in the chorus and, yep, the band play a slow groove to give the phrase more clarity. It's slightly clichéd, however, the band do have an interesting take on introducing the chorus first time 'round.

Idle Hands is an overly ambitious record that at times feels like the Continents are making decisions on how to be as heavy as possible, all of the time. The quintet have natural melodic leanings but must have felt compelled to get down and angry on their first record. If they can stay together, then album number two will be the one to keep an eye out for.